1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container designed to be filled with laundry treatment material, such as liquid detergent, and placed into a washing chamber, such as an automatic washing machine, and being capable of dispensing the contents into the wash water containing the laundry during the washing cycle.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
In prior-known dispensing storage containers designed to be filled with liquid detergent and placed into the wash water to dispense the contents during the washing cycle, the design of the containers has been found to produce one or more unsatisfactory results relating to the filling of the containers and, more particularly, to the ability of the containers to uniformly and completely dispense their contents during the washing cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,806 discloses dispensing storage containers which are designed for a single use in that they contain a seal between the filled compartment and a dispensing opening, which seal is dissolved or broken during the initial use. The contents then flow out through one large opening, according to one embodiment, or through several small openings in the base of a puncture insert, according to another embodiment.
The advantage of these designs is that the containers empty almost completely. Depending on the shape of the storage container, however, the liquid flows out in much the same way as it does when poured from a bottle. In the full upside-down position, uniform outflow is greatly affected by the inflowing displacement air. The inflow of water through the same openings, which water creates a favorable diluting and flushing-out effect, interferes with the uniform outflow of the liquid detergent to an even greater extent than air. The same adverse interference effect which occurs on the inflow of water into the cylindrical, neck-like depression and through the apertures of the puncture insert of U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,806 will also occur if the dispensing storage container is refilled with liquid detergent through the openings, for example for a second use. Attempts have already been made to improve these disadvantages by providing segregated outlet and inlet openings, as disclosed in West German Gebrauschmuster GM 85 09 898, which illustrates at least one filling opening and several outlet openings. In particular, one proposed dispensing storage container has a filling opening which is designed to be closed by a cover comprising the outlet openings. This design has the disadvantage that the outlet openings are not recessed, i.e. can easily be blocked by an item of laundry during use, which can also cause the amount of liquid released per unit of time to vary. In another variant of the solution of the interference problem disclosed in the above-cited utility model specification, this problem is overcome by the provision of a filling funnel fixedly associated with the storage container in the form of a centrally directed tube which has the filling or inlet openings at its lower end and the outlet openings in the funnel wall near the upper edge of the funnel. However, it has been found by extensive tests that the distinction made in this utility model specification between filling opening and outlet openings is based on an error of fact. The laundry treatment liquid flows out mainly from the filling openings when the dispensing storgage container circulates in the drum of the washing machine, embedded in the laundry. The centrally directed funnel tube actually leads to highly irregular release of the laundry treatment liquid to such an extent that, in the beginning, the quantity of liquid flowing out per unit of time amounts to several times the quantity which can flow out from the dispensing storage container when it is in the upside-down position and the liquid level of the contents falls below the level of the filling openings. There is also the disadvantage that the liquid is released much the same way as it issues when poured from a standard bottle. In addition, neither filling with liquid detergent nor the inflow of washing liquid is optimal. When the liquid is poured in, splashing readily occurs, and the water inlet openings are situated too centrally to permit adequate flushing out the container.
An objective of the present invention is to design a dispensing storage container of the aforementioned type in such a way that, in addition to the advantage of substantially uniform release of liquid detergent with improved surface distribution, the inflow of liquid is optimized whether for pouring in of the laundry treatment liquid during filling and/or for the inflow of water during the washing process.